


The storm

by Alannada



Category: Witch World - Andre Norton
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 23:31:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9629858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada/pseuds/Alannada
Summary: An unnatural storm comes and Hilarion realizes someone's arriving. And someone else wants to make sure the newcomer wouldn't set their foot on the shore





	

**Author's Note:**

> Another piece about Hilarion, requested by denatka from tumblr.  
> A part of my "giving away fics" event on tumblr.

A young man knelt before a bowl carved from stone. It was placed on the ground, a huge circle of white and violet rocks around it and the man. He had his long dark hair tied in a ponytail, falling on his back. Sharp eyes looked straight into the bowl, focused at the reflection on the water inside.

He could feel the nervousness of people gathered around the circle, observing his every motion. Outside of the small house a storm was raging, wind howling abouve roofs of Citadel, the sound of lightnings melted into the crasing of waves attacking the shore.

"Please..." he could hear voice of a woman.

"Quiet. Let our master focus," hushed a different, much older voicce. He closed his eyes and pretended not to hear fear and desperation in their voices.

The storm was raging above their heads for hours. It had started without a warning, in a few minutes the sky turned black, covered with heavy clouds. The calm sea became wild, like an animal trapped in a cage. Strange red and orange lights were visible far from the shore, dancing on the wind, appearing and disappearing, pulsing. A few people saw also blue lights, much lower, just where the waves were dancing.

Everyone knew it wasn't a normal storm, so they asked their master to put an end to it. No one doubted his power, his ability to save them. He was preparing already to stop the storm before it could crash against the dwelling of his people.

He sat on the stone floor, his legs crossed and the bowl just before him. He could hear quiet noises made by people around him, watching him and trying to keep quiet. Then he closed his ears to the sounds inside the room. Instead he opened his mind for the sea and storm outside.

He let his mind soar high above the cliffs and the high waves. He let his power focus and then spread, looking for any trace of ill will, evil spell causing the storm. He had his eyes closed, but he could see the world through his mind eye. He was able to see sparks of life around him, he could feel the pressure of masses of air, the power building lightnings. He could focus on finding the source of the storm now, reach it no matter how far away it was. He was confident he could make it stop, let go of the storm and chase the clouds away.

He couldn't see that his own body started to move slowly, rocking back and forth as a low hum resonated deep within his chest. People gathered around him were staring at him, wide-eyed, amazed by power of their young master. He was their protector and they trusted him, but every time he was using his power they could see this young man was not an ordinary human, he wasn't like them. The water inside his bowl stirred, started to move, adjusting to the sound he was making.

Hilarion reached out, far in the sea, where the lights were dancing. He saw a ship between tall waves. Briefly he could feel fear and desperation of people on the ship, but then something else caught his attention. He felt a great power fighting to keep a barrier around the vessel, to keep it from sinking under the falling rain and pressure of the wind and swirling waves. He was observing the power for a moment until he was sure it was of Light. It seemed to be not as strong as his own, but powerful enough person, using their might in a way Hilarion saw for the first time in his life. The young man let his mind scan the area around the ship, trying to find traces of the red lights above the ship. There was some ill willed person, desiring to prevent those on the ship to set their foot in Escore.

This angered the young mage. Those people he didn't know were harmless and innocent. They were coming to Escore from far away, not desiring to destroy and twist the land, but to find knowledge - he learned this after brushing gently agaainst the barrier around the ship. His anger arose as he realized that someone was attacking his hypothetical allies who could teach him about their paths. Surely the spell holding the barrier was foregin to him.

As he turned his attention away from the ship he found the source of the storm. It was located South from him, on edge of the sea. He saw before his mind's eye a man sittingin a circle drawn on the ground with blood. He saw a bowl on his lap. It was filled with water. The man was repeating a spell, stirring the water inside his bowl with a bone. The air around the man was practically resonating with anger and hatered.

Hilarion hummed a bit lower, a sound causing his listeners take a step backwards. He shaped is will to resemble a sword and pierced the man's heart. He shattered the barrier of his circle, made the rain water wash away the bloody circle. His immense power and will threw the man's body back, his bowl shattered to pieces. The evil man didn't even try to fight back, overpowered by the strength of Hilarion's anger and will, attacked in his state of meditation, unable to focus at something else than the storm.

The young man felt a pang of pain and sadness because he took life, but he knew he had to be swift. A part of him, still lingering around the ship, could feel that the blue barrier of protection around the vessel was growing thinner with each heartbeat.

But the storm didn't fade with the evil power which had caused it. It merely became a natural storm, shaking the sea. Now he had to calm it down as much as he could before his men could go and rescue the ship. 

Hilarion reached for the bowl before him - he felt the soft surface of the vessel as his fingers brushed against it, but he didn't open his eyes to look at it. He lowered his head so he could almost touch the water with his face. His hum faded into silence for a moment before he started to whisper his own spell, wrapping his will around the whole bay. He felt his power being drained - he knew he used a lot of it to track the ship and destroy the one responsible for the storm. It was as if his own life force was falling with the rain, joining the sea. He could ask for help of his teacher, he knew the old man was somewhere nearby, but his pride prevented him from doing this. He was strong enough to calm the sea without an aid of his mentor.

He was hovering above the bowl, feeling the storm raging outside the building and inside his mind, as he was separating clouds, twisting winds and calming waves. And slowly, slowly, the storm was growing smaller, the lightnings striking far away from the bay, the waves becoming smaller. The sea was wild, hard to control. Yet he didn't let himself think about failing - he knew that he had to control it, make it obey his orders. He was the only one who could do it. He had taken life, it was just right to save life. It was a hard work, making the raging nature find its balance and the storm move away from the bay. He coulnd't push it hard, he had to press in various places, twist currents and observe the whole work to see where to press to ensure his victory over the storm.

At last he opened his eyes and saw majority of the water in the bowl pooling around it. He took a deep, shaky breath, suddenly feeling his body weak and trembling. He heard someone stepping over his circle - now powerless - and kneeling beside him. A faint smell of lavender telling him it was his mentor. He felt a hand resting on his shoulder, supporting him.

"It's over?" he asked. The young man nodded and sat straight, inhaling deeply and looking around, trying to focus.

"There's a ship on the water. Go and help the survivors. Among them is a person wielding magic. Bring them to me after they rest," he ordered and heard his mentor repeat his orders in a louder voice. He heard people leaving the room. "I killed the one responsible for the attack. It wasn't directed at us."

He heard a calming hum of his master's voice.

"Should I help you to your bed? You look pretty tired."

Hilarion smiled faintly.

"And fire is mildly warm," he said and gave a sigh. "I guess I have no choice but to let you take you to my chamber, teacher. I need to regain as much of my power as I can before seeing our guests," he felt strong hands pulling at his arm and stood up slowly, not really believing his legs could support him right now.

"Tomorrow will be an interesting day," he said with a small smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't owe Hilarion or anything within Witch World.  
>  English isn't my first language. I'm doing my best to keep my fics mistake-free, but if you find any - please - let me know.


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